


Batter Up

by Wle0416



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff, M/M, supportive boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:29:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26225695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wle0416/pseuds/Wle0416
Summary: Michael has a few days to learn how to play softball.Or the one where Alex is supportive and Michael is a stud.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81





	Batter Up

"You want me to do what?"

"Come on, Guerin. We need one more player for the team!" Maria was excited, and she had her begging face on, all big eyes and toothy smile.

"One more player for what?" Alex asked as he slid into the booth across from Michael and Maria. He reached across the table to cover Michael's hand out of habit. There hadn't been a time in the last three months of dating that he didn't reach out for Michael's hand when they were out together.

Michael smiled softly at him and then turned back to Maria, who was still waiting for a response. "DeLuca, I don't even work here."

Maria huffed and then set her sights on Alex. "Will you please tell your boyfriend to help me out. I need one more player for the charity softball game this weekend. I'm desperate."

Alex's lips curled up into an evil grin. "Do you even know how to play softball?"

Michael rolled his eyes and took a sip of his soda. "Does it matter? I'm not doing it."

"Free drinks for a month!" Maria exclaimed, clasping her hands together and shoving into Michael's shoulder.

"If you hadn't noticed, I'm barely drinking anymore."

Maria looked defeated, and she hurried out of the booth wordlessly. A part of Michael felt terrible, he and Maria had put a lot of effort into developing a friendship. It was something they neglected when they went right from harmless flirting to sex, and then ill-fated romance. He knew he should suck it up and do her a favor, but he just wasn't sure if he could.

"Hey, what's going on in that head?" Alex asked, rubbing his thumb over Michael's hand.

Usually, Michael loved how well Alex knew how to read him like a book, but at that moment, he wished he was a better actor. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Michael, you know that's not going to work on me."

Michael knew it was true, so he took a deep breath and another long sip of his sugary drink and told the tale. "When I was a kid, they had this field day thing at the group home: tug-o-war, dodgeball, potato sack races, and a softball game. I didn't know how to play any of the games, and the kids wouldn't let me hear the end of it. I got out of playing most of the games, but they made me play softball. I struck out every time, and three balls went under my legs in the outfield. My last time up to bat, I just swung to swung, ready to never play softball again, but I actually hit the ball. And I didn't know what to do. Everyone was yelling at me to run, so I ran. To second base. It was endlessly embarrassing. Even all the adults were making fun of me. I know it's stupid, but I have no interest in ever stepping foot on a softball field ever again."

"Michael, that's not stupid. And I'm sorry I made that stupid joke about you not knowing how to play, I didn't realize." Alex was all concern and compassion, and Michael loved him for it.

"It's okay, baby. It's silly."

"No, it's not. You've carried that with you for a long time, and it's okay not to want to participate. Maybe we can help Maria find someone else for the team. If I weren't going to be away this weekend, I would play."

Michael leaned back in the booth and stared at Alex like he usually did because he was a goddamn work of art, but this time he was more lost in thought about what Alex had just said. He had sat with those feelings for a very long time, and it wasn't silly to still feel upset by it. Children were always ribbing him back then, but something about that day stung deeper because it truly highlighted how different he was. These were normal activities for kids his age, and he had no idea what they were doing.

"You know what? Screw it," Michael began, turning and spotting Maria a few tables away, clearing off empty beer bottles. "I'm in, DeLuca!"

******

With only three days to learn how to hit a softball properly, Michael and Alex headed to a local batting cage. They were the oldest people there by a decade, as it was mostly filled with teenagers and younger kids perfecting their swings.

Michael was nervous, and he made Alex go first in the cage, partly because he wasn't quite ready to embarrass himself yet and because he wanted to ogle his boyfriend for a few minutes.

Alex hit every ball with precision and accuracy, the sound of the ball hitting the aluminum bat creating a thunderous pop every ten seconds.

"You an undercover major leaguer, Private?" Michael asked as Alex exited the cage and took his helmet off, handing it to Michael.

Alex smiled genuinely. "Hardly. But that was fun. You ready?"

Michael suppressed a groan, choosing instead to fasten his helmet, take the bat from Alex's outstretched hands and walk confidently to the batter's box. He tried to emulate Alex's posture as much as possible and centered himself as Alex fed the pitchching machine and started the 15-second countdown to the first pitch.

He let the first one whizz by him without moving a muscle, ignoring Alex's encouraging voice and just getting lost in his head. _Move your body, Michael. Just swing the damn bat_.

Michael swung at the next one and missed badly, his body off-kilter and his helmet getting twisted around on his head. He gathered himself quickly, knowing the next ball was seconds away, and got back in position. He missed the next one as well, but his body felt more fluid and less out of control.

By the time the eighth ball came barreling down, Michael had made direct contact, and the ball sailed into the net.

"Yes, baby! Just like that! You crushed it!" Alex was positively giddy on the other side of the netting, and Michael was grinning like an idiot.

He finished up his set contacting with the rest of the pitches, and when he exited the cage, Alex greeted him with a kiss that had no business taking his breath away as much as it did.

"What was that for?" Michael asked, a little taken aback by its intensity but loving it all the same.

"You just looked so sexy in there," Alex breathed out, a fire burning in his dark eyes.

They were supposed to head over to the field and practice throwing the ball around, but the only throwing that night came from Alex pinning Michael down on the bed later.

*******

Michael managed to avoid any and all balls from his position in right field. Maria had convinced Kyle to play for the Wild Pony team too, and he was, of course, ridiculously athletic and covered almost the entire outfield from his spot in center field.

The Planet 7 team was pummeling them, with home runs left and right and dynamic plays in the field. Maria was doing her best to keep the team motivated, but it was hotter than hot, and it was getting to the point where everyone just wanted the game to end so they could enjoy the rest of their Sunday.

Michael hadn't gotten a hit yet, but he'd managed to hit the ball during his at-bats, and he ran to the correct base, so he was considering the day to be a success.

"Guerin, you're up!" Maria yelled to him from the other side of the metal bench the team was occupying.

Michael ran to grab his helmet and bat and got to home plate in a rush. He stared at Blaire in the pitching circle and took his customary deep breath before the ball came down the shoot.

It was a hanging ball with a lot of arc, and Michael's eyes got wide as he brought his bat down to make contact. The ball exploded off the bat, Michael watching as the yellow sphere floated further and further away until it disappeared over the chest-high fence that surrounded the diamond.

Everything happened so fast that Michael forgot to run for a second, but the cheering from the bench, and a loud whooping sound from the bleachers behind the Pony's bench, brought him out of his trance, and he began his trot to first base.

The crowd's cheering wouldn't stop, and as Michael rounded second base, he saw Alex standing amongst the small crowd gathered there with his hands high above his head and screams continuously coming out of his mouth.

He was supposed to be at a conference all weekend, due to return that evening, but there he was in the stands cheering for Michael like he won the Superbowl.

"Nice hit, Guerin!" Kyle shouted as Michael jogged back to the bench. "Um, does your boyfriend know we're down by ten runs?"

Michael let his teammates congratulate him, and accepted a happy embrace from Maria before motioning Alex over.

"What are you doing here?"

Alex shrugged, face broken out in the broadest smile. "I was trying to get back sooner but hit some traffic. I wanted to support you. Nevermind that, you got a home run!"

Michael wiped the sweat from his brow. If he weren't sweating to death, Alex would have seen how much he was blushing. "We're still losing, though."

Alex crowded Michael's space, apparently oblivious to the people around them and the fact that Michael had almost wholly soaked through his t-shirt. "Who cares about the score? You are a stud, baby."

Michael smirked and gave Alex a sloppy kiss that was a few seconds too long for public consumption.

"There will be plenty of time for that later! We need you in the field, Guerin!" Kyle called out from somewhere behind them.

"Go get em, slugger," Alex whispered into Michael's ear, reaching around to give his butt a little slap.

Michael stole another kiss before returning to his team, relishing in the hollers Alex bestowed upon him as he ran away.

His boyfriend sure had a way of making him feel like he belonged anywhere, as long as they were together.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, I ran right to second base when I was like 8 and playing softball, and I tried to quit right after because I was so embarrassed. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
